And Nathanael said unto him, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip saith unto him, “Come and see” (John 1:46).
My heart longs to hear about Jesus when I go to church. Week after week, though, I am terribly disappointed despite attending many conservative churches. The reason for this is that ministers, by and large, have stopped teaching Scripture verse by verse (called exegetical sermons) in favor of topical messages. These messages are, for the most part, generally nothing more than self-help exhortations designed to show individuals how to live a better life. All good and well. But the good life cannot be lived apart from the gospel message of the ruin of man by the Fall, redemption by the substitutionary death of Christ at Calvary, and regeneration of the soul by the person and work of the Spirit. No amount of “positive thinking,” no amount of “possibility thinking,” and no amount of clever, humanistic “principles” can hope to replace the glorious message of Christ. It is therefore imperative Christians remember the most remarkable Person that has ever lived, Jesus Christ. Henry G. Bosch has rewritten something that should send every soul in search of the Savior as he writes of Christ:
“The effect of Jesus’ teaching upon the world has been unsurpassed. All of time dates from His birth in that barn in Bethlehem. How did He accomplish such an amazing reach? Remember that He founded no colleges to promulgate His doctrines. He committed His name and teaching to a few humble fishermen who lacked education and influence (Acts 4:13).
“Looked at from the human side alone, how great was the probability that everything He had said would be forgotten within a few years?
“He never wrote a sermon. He published no books. Not a thing He said was engraved upon stone or inscribed upon brass so far as we know, yet His doctrines have endued for 2,000 years. They have gone to the ends of the earth and have changed the world wherever they have gone. They have lifted nations out of darkness and degradation and sin, and they have made the wilderness to blossom as a rose.
“Jesus painted no pictures, yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.
“Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him.
“Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the music they composed in His praise.
“Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth” (Our Daily Bread).
Is it any wonder that the hearts of many Christians, when they go to church, want to see Jesus and to hear about Him?
